Life as we Knew It
by Scurvy-Monkey
Summary: Sometimes just a few words are enough to change everything. A short one-shot where it all goes wrong. ZADF - Rated for dark themes and implied death.


AN: Here it is, a brief one-shot, exactly 1,000 words long. I won't hold you off further except to say that I don't own any of the characters, or Invader Zim, the show, itself.

* * *

It was amazing, really, what could be said with just a few small words. Ironic as well, since those tiny words had come out of someone whose whole race prized things that were large. A simple question, yet it was one that changed everything. Though, it would be best to start at the beginning of this story, not even twelve hours ago.

Lunch time for Dib was as miserable as any other part of his day. The disgusting food in front of him would occasionally wiggle, daring him to take a bite as he glanced for suspicious activity from Zim. As of late, there was a slight decrease in activity from the alien, but this only served as motivation for the human. Thoughts in his mind brewed ideas of something big about to happen with the invader, and he had to be ready to counter it without a moment's hesitation. When he explained his thoughts to Gaz, however, she'd merely called him a moron and several other names, then returned to playing whatever pig-related game that had recently caught her eye.

The second Zim had finished poking at his semi-sentient lunch and moved to throw the offending substance away, Dib was trailing after him at a distance, in an attempt to be stealthy. This was given up for a more direct approach when he knocked over another trash can that he'd been trying to hide behind.

"I know you're up to something Zim!" Dib had shouted in his usual accusing manner, running to catch up to the other, pushing away a few unfortunate bystanders in the process. Small windows through the swarms of bodies he was fighting showed that Zim merely ignored him, heading back to their classroom to face the horrible monster known as Ms. Bitters. Dib kept yelling for his attention, earning himself the familiar odd looks and whispers questioning his sanity. Dib merely ignored them, they'd find out soon enough. He glared angrily at everyone he came into contact with on his way back to class, ready to stick out the rest of another horrible day.

Days later, looking back on this moment, he wondered if his past self knew exactly how soon that would be.

* * *

Dib didn't bother going home after school, there was no use in wasting his time that way when he could be spying on Zim some more. He was already following the other to his house, staying far behind and this time managing not to knock over anything. He watched as Zim entered his house, carefully making his way to the door the other had just gone through. He could feel the gnomes watching him as he approached; one foul move and dib would be reduced to a pile of ash. He cringed at the thought, but pride took over when he made it to the door unscathed. Having not expected to make it that far, Dib found himself pondering what to do next.

Against all logic, Dib simply rang the doorbell. For some reason, Zim actually answered the door. It couldn't get any weirder.

"Dib-worm,"

"Zim,"

"Well? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in?"

It got weirder.

Dib entered, more than unsure and full of questions. He didn't even know where to start, taking a seat on Zim's couch. Oddly, it was quite cozy.

Zim took the liberty of explaining before he could actually ask anything. "I'm only saying this once, so make sure your disgusting Earth-brain gets all this,

"I, the almighty ZIM!" He paused to strike a pose, fists raised in the air, "has decided that he no longer wants to live on this filthy, rotten, putrid…" he continued naming several other synonyms for the word 'filthy' until Dib cleared his throat, alerting the invader. "…planet," He finished the sentence, "I will be destroying this planet as soon as I am out of its atmosphere. As you have proved a worthy adversary, I will spare your life should you choose to come with me,"

Dib stared like this was some sort of joke. After taking a moment to soak up the information, all he could really ask was "Why?"

Zim hesitated for a moment, something Dib picked up on. "I've been exiled. Again," Zim's antennae twitched at 'exiled,' signaling that this was a touchy subject. "But I, ZIM, will show my tallest that I am worthy, oh so worthy, of being an invader!" There was a glint of madness in his features. Dib decided he didn't like that glint. Zim wasn't finished. "I'll show the entire empire. I took them down from the inside during impending doom I and I can do it again.

"So, Dib, if you go with me you will be able to witness the fall of the greatest empire in the universe! Or you can die with the rest of your Earth scum,"

Dib reacted quickly in defense of his home planet, "I won't let you do this Zim. You can't just think I'll betray my own race for your sake!"

Zim considered this, then, finally, said those very words that brought us to this moment. "What did they ever do for you?"

A silence fell over as Dib thought, memories surfacing of his face being shoved in the mud, the back of his father as he was ignored, the mocking faces of the swollen eyeball network, the glares he'd received earlier today, the names he'd been called, every unpleasant memory in his head. Dib almost backed down in defeat, but stopped when a cold, dark realization flooded his mind.

This didn't have to be the defeat of Dib.

He and Zim could team up, the only thing in common being their hatred of both races, and destroy everything. Who cared if they failed? They had nothing to lose.

Yet, as he boarded the voot cruiser with Zim, he had a feeling that they would succeed.

Doom was here for the entire universe, in the friendship least expected.


End file.
